Fluid-gage for automobiles



E. H. ROLLIN.

FLUID GAGE FOR AUTOMOBlLES.

APPLICATION FILED news. 1919.

INVENTOR.

ZUGHYE H Emu/1.

/ a I I A TTORNEY EUGENE BOLLIN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

FLUID-GAGE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1221..

Application filed December 15, 1919. Serial No. 344,799.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE H. RoLLiN, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident novel supporting casing ortube.

@ne feature of the invention is in constructing the novel tube insections, one portion thereof supporting the indicating gage mechanismand the other permitting access to the same for assembling purposes.

A further feature of the invention is in connecting the gage directly tothe supply line connecting the fuel tank to the carbureter.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevational viewof a portion of anautomobile chassis, parts of said chassis being broken away to show theinvention and the method of mounting the same thereon. Fig. 2 is anelevational view of the invention with parts broken away to show otherpartsv in detail. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of the inventiontaken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings there is shown an automobile chassis comprising theusual. frame 10, floor board 11, instrument board 12, seat 13, fuel tank14.- and steering column. The engine 16 is provided with an intakemanifold 17, exhaust manifold 18 and water jacket 19, said intakemanifold 17 communicating with a carbureter, not shown, the same beingsupplied with fuel from the tank 1 1 by the supply line 15. The novelgage 20 is herein shown mounted substantially similar to a gage shown inthe prior patent referred to, the instrument dial being visible on theinstrument board 12, the lower portion of said tube in this instance,however, being suitably connected to the supply line. Herein the supplyline is shown provided with a T-connection 21 which communicates withthe gage tube 20 for the purpose described. The gage is shown providedwith a trans parent protecting cover plate 22, a dial plate 23, anindicator or finger 24, an upper sprocket wheel 25, sprocket chain 26, afloat 28 and lower sprocket wheel 25, all of the foregoing beingsubstantially the same as that shown in the prior patent referred to.The novel and improved gage tube is herein shown composed of but fourparts, namely, a novel base portion 27, a tubular portion 27, a section29 of an elbow and the other section of said elbow 30. Said sections areprovided with adjacent ears 31 projecting therefrom, by which thesections are secured together by suitable means, such as by the threadedbolts 32. The base block 27 is herein shown provided with an annulargroove 83 and an inwardly and centrally projecting portion 34, the samehaving a threaded opening 35 therein in which the T connection issecured. Extending upwardly from the projection ifilare a pair ofparallel standards 36 which form a slot 36 therebetween. The standardsare provided with registering and transversely extending shaft bearingopenings 37, the same rigidly supporting a sprocket shaft 38 upon whichthe lower sprocket wheel 25 is secured. From the foregoing it will beunderstood that the width of the slot 36" is greater than the width ofthe endless sprocket chain 26. It will also be understood that the Tconnection discharges through the slot 36 and also sidewardly therefrom,as shown by the broken portion of Fig. 2. The tube 27" incloses thelower sprocket wheel, sprocket chain and float 28, the same beingintroduced between the two ends of the chain 26. The-lower end of saidtube is suitably secured to the base 27 by having the end spun into theannular groove 33, or otherwise secured thereto to form a leak proofjoint.

The upper end of said tube is seated in a slotted portion 39 formed inthe elbow sections, said tube being securely seated therein whenthesections are secured together by means of the bolts 82.

The section 29 is provided with a bracket bearing 10, the same beingadapted to receive one end of the sprocket shaft 41 carrying the uppersprocket wheel 25 The other end of said shaft extends through thebearing 42 also formed upon and within the elbow section 29. Said shaftextends through said bearing and carries on its forward end a gear 43,the same meshing with a gear 44 carried by the indicating shaft 45. Theindicating shaft 45 is suitably mounted in the bearing 46 also securedwithin and formed upon the section 29, and the bushing 47 herein shownsecured to the dial plate 23. Upon the forward end of the indicatingshaft 45 is secured the indicator 24, said shaft extending through anopening 48 in the .dial 23. The section 29 is shown provlded with a pairof slots 49 and 50 upon the interior of the same, in which the plate 22and the dial 23 are respectively seated. The section 30 also has similarslots formed therein to engage and seat said plate and dlal. The forwardend of said assembled elbow projects forwardly through an openng51 inthe dash 12, so that said dial and indicatlng finger are visible fromthe seat. The elbow is further provided with suitable cars 52 by whichthe gage is secured to the instrument board by suitable means, such asthe bolts 53.

The operation of the gage is substantially similar to that shown in theprior patent referred to, the float being movable longitudinally of thevertical tube 27", said float following the level of the fluid. As thelevel rises and falls in said tank 14, said float actuates the sprocketchain, whereby the sprocket shaft 41 i caused to rotate the indicatingshaft 45 through the medium of the reducing gears 43 and 44, as shown.As the shaft 45 rotates, the indicating finger is revolved around theface of the dial to indicate the amount of fuel in said tank bycooperating with a suit-able scale 54 upon the face of the dial 23.

With this construction it is possible to rotatably mount the sprocketwheel 25 in the base 27 and secure the latter to the tube 2?. Similarlythe sprocket wheel 25 is secured upon the sprocket shaft 41, the samethen rotatably mounted. in the bearings, as shown. Similarly the shaft45 is mounted in the bearing 46 and bushing 47 and the finger positionedthereon. The section 29 is then inserted in the opening 51 of theinstrument board, and simultaneously engages the upper edge of the tube2'7 and seats the same in the slot 39. The ends of the sprocket chainare then brought to the exposed portion of the elbow and the floatinserted and secured between the ends of said chain. The latter is thenpositioned upon the upper sprocket wheel, the indicating finger beingadjusted to the proper position with respect to the indicating shaft 45and the scale on t dial 23 so that said finger when actuated by saidfloat will indicate the true amount of fuel in the tank. The section 30of the el bow is then inserted through the opening 51 and positionedadjacent the section 29 gage casing by which the same may be secured tothe chassis of an automobile and the like, and which also provides forease in assembling the gage itself therein, and which is of but fewparts and simple construction.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a fluid gage the combination with a float, a pair of superposedsprocket wheels, a sprocket chain associated with said float andactuated thereby to rotate said sprocket wheels, an indicating dial anda finger associated with said dial and operable by the upper sprocketwheel, of a tubular casing in which said float is mounted, means closingthe upper end of said tubular casing and adapted to receive theindicating means and upper sprocket wheel, a base to which said tube issecured for closing the same to form a float chamber, said base beingprovided with an inlet to admit fluid to said tube to actuate saidfloat, and standard means se-- cured to said base and projectingupwardly therefrom to rotatably support the lower sprocket wheel.

2. In a fluid gage the combination with a fluid containing casing, asprocket wheel rotatably supported in the base thereof, a float movablein said casing and actuated by the fluid and a sprocket chain associatedwith said sprocket wheel and actuated by said float, of a secondsprocket wheel rotatable by said chain, a sectionalized elbow adapted toproject through the instrument board of an automobile and be visibletherethrough,

.said elbow having within its open end an annular groove, the other endof said elbow being rigidly secured to the upper end of said tubularcasing, a dial positioned in the open end of said sectionalized elbowand seated in said groove, a shaft 'extending through said dial, anindicating finger carried on said extended end of the shaft andcooperating with said dial to indicate the fluid level in said tubularcasing, a sprocket shaft rigid with said second mentioned sprocket wheeland rotatable thereby, meshing gears carried by said shafts foractuating said indicating finger, said second mentioned sprocket wheel,sprocket shaft meshing gears and indicating shaft being supported inassembled relation to one of said sections of said sectionalized elbow,the other section of said elbow when positioned upon said firstmentioned section rigidly securing said dial in position within saidannular groove, and means for securing said sections of said elbowtogether and secure the same to said tubular casing.

3. In a fluid gage the combination with a fluid containing casing, asprocket wheel rotatably supported in the base thereof, a float movablein said casing and actuated by the fluid and a sprocket chain associatedwith said sprocket wheel and actuated by said float, of a secondsprocket wheel rotatable by said chain, a sectionalized elbow adapted toproject through the instrument board of an automobile and be visibletherethrough, the end of said elbow being rigidly secured to the upperend of said tubular casing, a dial positioned in the open end of saidsectionalized elbow, a shaft extending through said dial, an indicatingfinger carried on said eX tended end of the shaft and cooperating withsaid dial to indicate the fluid level in said tubular casing, a sprocketshaft rigid with said second mentioned sprocket wheel and rotatablethereby, meshing gears carried by said shafts for actuating saidindicating finger, said second mentioned sprocket wheel, sprocket shaft,meshing gears and indicating shaft being supported in assembled relationto one of said sections of said sectionalized elbow, the other sectionof said elbow being positioned on said first mentioned section so as toinclose and house the gears and shafts, and means for securing saidsections of said elbow together and secure the same to said tubularcasing.

4. A liquid fuel gage for automobiles in cluding a fluid containing tubeadapted to be mounted on the automobile in the same relative position asthe liquid fuel tank, a bottom closer for said tube, a sectional headadapted to be secured to the top of said tube, an indicating dialandflnger mounted in one sectionof said head, float operated meansmounted in one section of said head for actuating said finger accordingto the posi tioning of said float by the rise and fall of liquid fuel insaid tube, means for securing said section heads together on said tubeafter the operative parts therein have been assembled, and a conduitconnecting said tube directly with the liquid fuel feed line between thetank and carbureter of the automobile.

In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EUGENE H. ROLLIN.

